Hospital Safety Grades: How Did St. Louis Park's Hospital Score?

Sixteen Minnesota hospitals received “A” grades in a national ranking of 2,633 hospitals nationwide on improvements in the prevention of errors, injuries, accidents and infections, according to a new study released Monday. St. Louis Park's Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital was one of them.

The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded by employers and health-care providers, announced its Fall 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a program which assigns A, B, C, D and F letter grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals bi-annually and is the gold standard measure of patient safety in the United States. Hospital safety breakdowns, including patient injuries, accidents and infections, kill more than 200,000 Americans each year, making these errors the third leading cause of death in the United States. But not all hospitals are alike. Of the 2,633 hospitals evaluated, 844 earned an “A,” 658 earned a “B,” 954 earned a “C,” 157 earned a “D” and 20 earned an “F.”

“In the fast-changing healthcare landscape, patients should be aware that hospitals are not all equally competent at protecting them from injuries and infections,” Leapfrog President and CEO Leah Binder said in a news release. “We believe everyone has the right to know which hospitals are the safest and encourage community members to call on their local hospitals to change, and on their elected officials to spur them to action. States that put a priority on safety have shown remarkable improvements.”

Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, located in St. Louis Park, has an exceptional track record in recent years. It has received "A" grades every spring and fall going back to 2014, when it received a "B" grade in the fall.

Here’s a look at the scores of other Minnesota hospitals:

“A” Grade

• Mayo Clinic Hospital‐ Rochester, Saint Marys Campus

Received an "A" in spring 2016 as well, up from its fall 2015 grade of "C."

• Mayo Clinic Health System In Red Wing

Received "A" grades since fall 2015.

• Cambridge Medical Center

Received an "A" in spring 2016, up from its fall 2015 grade of "C."

• Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria

Received an "A" in spring 2016 as well, up from its fall 2015 grade of "C."

• Fairview University Medical Center Mesabi in Hibbing

Received an "A" in spring 2016 also, up from its fall 2015 grade of "B."

• Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park

Received an "A" grade since spring of 2015, which was up from its fall 2014 grade of "B."

• Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia

Received an "A" grade since fall of 2015, up from its spring 2014 grade of "B."

• Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis

Received an "A" in spring 2016 also, up from its fall 2015 grade of "B."

• Mayo Clinic Hospital ‐Rochester, Methodist Campus

Received an "A" in spring 2016 also, up from its fall 2015 grade of "C."

• Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital in Grand Rapids

Received an "A" in spring 2016 also, up from its fall 2015 grade of "B."

• Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater

Up from its spring 2016 grade of "B."

• Essentia Health‐Virginia

Received an "A" in spring 2016 also, up from its fall 2015 grade of "C."

• Mankato Hospital ‐ Mayo Clinic Health System

Up from its spring 2016 grade of "C."

• St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee

Straight "A" grades.

• Mercy Hospital of Coon Rapids

Received a "B" in spring 2014 and has received "A" grades since.

• Woodwinds Health Campus in Woodbury

Received an "A" in spring 2016 also, up from its fall 2015 grade of "B."

“B” Grade

• North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale

Received an "B" in spring 2016 also, up from its fall 2015 grade of "C."

• Essentia Health Saint Mary's Medical Center in Duluth

Received an "A" in spring 2016.

• United Hospital of St. Paul

Received an "A" in spring 2016.

• Albert Lea Medical Center ‐ Mayo Clinic Health System

Received a "C" grade in spring 2016.

• Essentia Health ‐ Saint Joseph's Medical Center

Received an "A" in spring 2016.

• Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina

Received an "A" in spring 2016.

• University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview - West Bank, Minneapolis

Received a "C" grade in spring 2016.

• Maple Grove Hospital

Has received "B" grades since spring 2015, when it was graded "A."

“C” Grade

• Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis

Up from "D" in spring 2016.

• St. Cloud Hospital

Down from "A" in spring 2016.

• Winona Health

Down from "B" in spring 2016.

• St. Luke's Hospital of Duluth

Has received straight "C" grades since spring 2013.

• Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls

Down from "A" in spring 2016.

• Healtheast St. Joseph's Hospital

Down from "B" in spring 2016.

• Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar

Down from "B" in spring 2016.

• Regions Hospital in St. Paul

Down from "B" in spring 2016.

• Unity Hospital of Fridley

Down from "B" in spring 2016.

• Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville

Received "C" in spring 2016 also, down from a "B" in fall 2015.

• Healtheast St. John's Hospital

Down from "B" in spring 2016.

Here are the state rankings, based on the percentage of hospitals with "A" grades for safety, according to Leapfrog. Maryland hospitals do not receive Leapfrog grades:

1. Hawaii, 66.70 percent
2. Idaho, 63.60 percent
3. Maine, 62.50 percent
4. Wisconsin, 61.40 percent
5. North Carolina, 55.10 percent
6. Utah, 52.20 percent
7. Massachusetts, 51.70 percent
8. Vermont, 50.00 percent
9. Oregon, 48.50 percent
10. Virginia, 47.00 percent
11. Minnesota, 44.40 percent
12. Kansas, 43.80 percent
13. Mississippi, 40.50 percent
14. Rhode Island, 40.00 percent
15. Illinois, 39.80 percent
16. Ohio, 39.10 percent
17. Texas, 36.80 percent
17. New Jersey, 36.80 percent
19. Michigan, 36.70 percent
20. South Carolina, 34.00 percent
21. Montana, 33.30 percent
21. New Hampshire, 33.30 percent
23. Colorado, 32.60 percent
24. Tennessee, 31.80 percent
25. Louisiana, 30.60 percent
26. California, 30.30 percent
27. Missouri, 28.80 percent
28. Alabama, 28.30 percent
29. Iowa, 28.10 percent
30. Wyoming, 25.00 percent
31. Pennsylvania, 24.40 percent
32. Florida, 24.30 percent
33. Indiana, 23.80 percent
34. Nebraska, 23.50 percent
35. Kentucky, 23.10 percent
36. South Dakota, 22.20 percent
36. Georgia, 22.20 percent
36. Connecticut, 22.20 percent
39. Oklahoma, 20.50 percent
40. Washington, 19.60 percent
41. Arkansas, 17.90 percent
42. Arizona, 16.30 percent
43. Nevada, 15.00 percent
44. New Mexico, 12.50 percent
45. West Virginia, 12.00 percent
46. New York, 10.90 percent
47. Alaska, 0.00 percent
47. Delaware, 0.00 percent
47. Washington, D.C., 0.00 percent
47. North Dakota, 0.00 percent

See more about the safety grades, including the methodology.

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